Partners

  • Irstea (Lyon et Aix). Over the past twenty years, Irstea has developed research on the probabilistic analysis of extreme values of rainfall and discharge, covering most of the currently applied approaches: extreme value theory, regional analysis, integration of historical data, paleo-hydrology and use of knowledge about rainfall-discharge conversion processes. It has completed transfer actions in liaison with the Ministry for Ecology (MEEDDAT), including the publication of a methodological guide for the estimation of hundred-year floods (Lang and Lavabre, 2007) and the development of tools for the mapping of rainfall and discharge quantiles in France.

Scientific contact / ExtraFlo project manager: Michel LANG (michel.lang@cemagref.fr)

  • Météo-France (Toulouse). The Climatology Directorate of Météo-France is in charge of managing the national climatological data base (BdClim). In this capacity, it has developed tools for data capture, data review and data processing (characterization of extreme values, spatialized climatology, homogenization of long series). It has been involved for several years in actions for developing long pluviometric series..

Scientific contact: Jean-Michel SOUBEYROUX (Jean-michel.soubeyroux@meteo.fr)

  • HydroSciences (Montpellier). HydroSciences Montpellier is carrying out research on water resources, and has been working in particular on the estimation of extreme rainfall in the Mediterranean area using rainfall spatialization tools and by the development of regional analysis methods. This laboratory recently coordinated the INONDHIS project for the study of historical floods in the Mediterranean region (RDT program from MEEDDAT).

Scientific contact: Luc NEPPEL (neppel@msem.univ-monpt2.fr)

  • EDF. EDF manages its own measurement network and carries out hydro-meteorological forecasts for the management of its plant. The company also undertakes studies of extreme floods to assess design levels for its own projects and for third parties. It has entrusted this task to DTG, a unit based mainly in Grenoble. Moreover, it takes on part of the development of the necessary methods, often in collaboration with university research teams. The GRADEX and SCHADEX methods, in particular, were developed within this framework. A thesis on the SCHADEX method is in preparation in collaboration with Irstea.

Scientific contact: Emmanuel PAQUET (Emmanuel.paquet@edf.fr)

  • GéoSciences (Montpellier). GéoSciences Montpellier is a research laboratory specializing in earth sciences. It has expertise in geochemistry, geochronology and sedimentology, disciplines which are being developed for the paleo-hydrological study of floods. Over the past few years, this partner has been working on the reconstruction of past floods and storms that have occurred since the Late Holocene in the Languedoc region.

Scientific contact: Laurent DEZILEAU (dezileau@gm.univ-montp2.fr)

Invited members

  • Cete Méditerranée (Aix) and Diren Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse). These two state-run agencies will make available the hydro-geomorphological data in their possession. They will participate in the development of doctoral research work supervised by Irstea on the intercomparison of hydro-geomorphological and hydraulic approaches. These agencies will be invited to meetings on the compilation of data files (task 1), the development of a methodology of intercomparison and validation (task 2), diagnosis of the methods of estimation (task 5) and the development of a practical guide (task 6).
  • MEEDDAT (Paris). DGPR (Paris) (in charge of Natural Risk) and BETCGB (Grenoble) (a safety control organization covering the major hydraulic works in France) from MEEDDAT (Ministry of Environment) will be invited to information meetings on the actions taken to intercompare methods for estimating extreme floods. Transfer actions will be discussed with MEEDDAT.
  • Universities.       The University of Montpellier, Department of Mathematics (Prof J.N. Bacro) will address the part of the project involving “extreme value theory” (cf. collaboration in progress with HydroSciences Montpellier and Irstea). The CSIC of Madrid (Prof G. Benito) will deal with the “paleo-hydrology” part of the project (cf. collaboration in progress with the Irstea).
  • Private consultants. Engineering and design departments (for example, SOGREAH, designers of the SPEED method for estimating extreme floods) will be invited to meetings to test the estimation tools they are using, to link them up with the diagnosis of the different estimation methods, and steer the transfer actions into an operational environment